Casket transporting and hoisting vehicle



June 3, 1952 G. FORMAN CASKET TRANSPORTING'AND HOISTING VEHICLE FiledJune 29, 1948 s sheets-shat 1 IN V EN TOR.

June 3, 1952 5, 2,599,052

CASKET TRANSPORTING AND HOISTIN G VEHICLE Filed June 29, 1948 3Sheets-Sheet 2 l /Ill, m I VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII &

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June 3, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 29. 1948 mmvroa 62-0265.ZBRMAN,

Patented June 3, 1952 CASKET TRAN SPORTING AND HOISTIN G VEHICLE GeorgeForman, Los Angeles, Calif. Application June 29, 1948, Serial No. 35,842

4 Claims (Cl. 214-84) My invention relates to and has for a purpose theprovision of a vehicle particularly designed, although not necessarily,for transporting caskets from place to place in mausoleums, and hoistingand moving them into crypts.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide such a casket handlingvehicle which embodies a vertically extensible frame that normally oc-'cupies a retracted position, and, hence, a minimum height, to allow theframe and the vehicle to pass through relatively low archways in amausoleum in transporting a casket to or from a crypt.

A further purpose Of m invention is the provision of a caskettransporting vehicle that has a casket supporting platform mounted forelevating movement onv the extensible frame, a mechanism for elevatingthe platform on the frame, and also vertically extending the frame toeffect further elevation of the platform to lift a casket to relativelyhigh crypts, and a control means for the mechanism which can be manuallyset to discontinue operation thereof at a predetermined time so that theplatform is hoisted to a preselected crypt for movement of a casket onthe platform into such crypt.

Another purpose of my invention is the provision in such a vehicle ofmeans for moving a casket onto and off of the platform and irrespectiveof the elevation thereof.

I will describe only one form of casket transporting vehicle, and oneform of automatic control device for the hoisting mechanism thereof,each embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel featuresthereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing in perspective one form of casket transportingvehicle embodying my invention in which the casket supporting platformand the extensible frame are in their lowermost positions of adjustment.I Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal plan view of the vehiclemore particularly showing the platform and the casket moving means.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the upper part of theextensible frame.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on theline 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. l. I

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the platform and thecarriage therefor.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the elevating carriage forthe platform carriage.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the platform elevated to itsuppermost position and the extensible frame extended upwardlyj Havingspecific reference to the drawings,jmy invention in its presentembodiment comprises a dolly designated generally at D, and comprising abody having sides [5, ends l6, and a top H, the body being supported forrolling movement by wheels l8 on an axle l9 and castors 20 which renderthe dolly dirigible. A bar 2| is secured to one end of the dolly bodyand bentto form an .upstanding handle 2| by which the dolly may bepushed from place to place.

One end of the top H is open but closed by a housing 22 in which ispartly contained a hoisting mechanism.

My vehicle includes a vertically extensible frame made up of astationary part S and a movable part M. The stationary frame part isbest shown in Figs. 5 and 10 as comprising a pair of verticallyextending and parallel spaced channelled side rails 23 with their lowerends extending downwardly through the top I! adjacent the housing 22,and fixed at their lower ends toa cross member 24 secured to a platform25. .The

' side rails 23 may be braced by rods 26 secured to the housing 22 andto the upperwend of the rails as shown in Fig. 10, and the upper endsof. the rails are connected by a cross bar 21. I

As shown in Figs. 5 and 7, an elevating carriage, designated generallyat K, is mounted for vertical movement in the side rails 23. Thiscarriage consists of a vertical plate 28 having on its lower edge aflange or lip 29 of greater length than the plate to completely span therails 23. The upper edge of the plate 28 is formed with a plurality ofupstanding extensions 30 which are riveted, welded or otherwise securedto an axle 3|. Similarly fastened to the lower edge of the plate 28 is asecond axle 32. These axles are of such length as to span the rails '23,and journalled on their ends are rollers 33 which ride in the channelsof the rails 23 so that the carriage as a unit can be moved verticallytherein.

The movable frame part M is best shown in Figs. 5 and 10 as comprising apair of channelled side rails 34 held in fixed parallel spacedrelationship by an axle 35, and telescopically associated with the siderails 23 of the stationary frame part by L-shaped brackets 36 fixed tothe rails 23 and carrying rollers 31 which bear against the rails 34, asbest shown in Fig. 4.

A carriage designated generally at KI is mounted for vertical movementin the rails'34- This carriage, as best shown in Fig. 6, comprises avertical plate 38 disposed between the rails 34 and carrying axles 39and 40 on the ends ofwhi ch are journalled rollers 4| which ride in thechannels of the rails 34. To one side of the plate 38 is riveted orotherwise secured an upstanding flange 42 of the platform 43 disposedhorizontally above the body top ll supportedand braced by channel beams44 and 45.

- This platform 43 is designed to supporti a casket, shown in phantomin-Fig; 5, and through of the switch 59, now causes the motor 55 to beoperated in such direction that the rollers 48 move the casketlengthwise off of the platform and into the crypt.

If the crypt into which the casket is to be moved is above the height ofthe stationary frame part S the hoisting mechanism is operated to causethe upper rollers 41 of the carriage KI to engage the stops 8! and undercontinued rotation of the drums 69, the stretches of the cables 13between the sheaves 3i and '16 will be shortened to now lift thecarriage K in the stationary frame part S and as the lip 29 abuts thelower ends of the side rails 94, the movable frame part M will beelevated on the frame part S, as illustrated in Fig. 10. As the platform43 is now movable upwardly with the frame part S, it will be clear thatthe platform with the casket can be elevated beyond the limit of theframe part M to any height substantially within the combined lengths ofthe two frame parts M and S. By now operating the rollers 48 in theproper direction the casket can be moved from the platform into thepreselected crypt.

If the control device of Fi 9 is incorporated in my vehicle in themanner previously described, to operate the hoisting mechanism theoperator first sets the indicator 89 through adjustment of the shaft 83,to a point along the length of the scale 96 to indicate the particularhorizontal tier of crypts in which a casket is to be deposited. By suchsetting of the indicator the long arm of the lever 92 is so positionedaxially of the drum 69 that when the switch 12 is closed to energize themotor 94 the hoisting mechanism will be operated until the casketreaches a height corresponding to the preselected crypt, when the cable'58 in its lateral movement as it is wound on the drum, will swing thelever against the tension of the spring 94, as shown in :broken lines inFig. 9, to move the short lever arm out of engagement with the switch95. Thus the switch now opens to disrupt further current supply to themotor 64 to discontinue further elevation of the casket. By now closingthe switch 59, the rollers 48 are operated to move the casket into thecrypt.

The vertical extensibility of the frame part M not only provides theadvantage of increasing the height to which a casket can be elevatedbeyond that of a non-extensible frame, but in transporting a casket toor from a crypt or when otherwise moving the vehicle from place to placein a mausoleum having doorways or arches of less height than the framepart M when in any degree of extended position it can, by moving it tocompletely retracted position, be readily passed through such doorwaysor arches.

Manifestly, my invention is not only operable to elevate a casket to acrypt at any height within the range of vertical extension of the framepart S, but by reversing operation of the motors 55 and 64, it isoperable to lower a casket from an elevated crypt once one end of thecasket is placed on the rollers 48, and to transport and discharge thecasket from the platform.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of caskettransporting vehicle, and one form of automatic control device for thehoisting mechanism thereof, it is to be understood that various changesand modifications may be made therein without departing from the spiritof my invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

WhatI claim is:

1. A vehicle for caskets, including: a dolly; a

6 frame having a stationary part fixed on said dolly, and. a movablepart vertically extensible on the stationary part, and having a stopthereon; a casket supporting platform movable vertically on said movableframe part and engageable with said stop; mechanism for elevating saidplatform on said movable frame part, and into engagement with said stop,and for subsequently extending said movable frame part upwardly on saidstationary frame part to further elevate said platform, rollers on saidplatform for supporting a casket, motor operated means on the platformfor driving said rollers in either direction, and means on said dollyoperable in all elevated positions of said platform for controlling saidmotor operated means.

2. A vehicle for caskets, including: a dolly; a frame part fixed to andrising from said dolly; a second frame part movable vertically on saidfixed frame part; a first carriage movable vertically on said secondframe part; stops on the upper portion of said second frame partengageable by said first carriage; a platform fixed on said carriage; asecond carriage movable vertically on said fixed frame part and having aportion disposed beneath and contacting the lower end of said secondframe part for lifting the latter on the fixed frame part; and amechanism on said dolly for elevating said first carriage on said secondframe part and into engagement with said stops, whereby upon continuedoperation of said mechanism said second carriage will elevate saidsecond frame part to further elevate said platform.

3. A vehicle for caskets as embodied in claim 2, wherein said platformhas rollers thereon upon which a casket is adapted to be supported, andmeans on said platform andpperable from said dolly when the second framepart is elevated for driving said rollers in either direction.

4. In a vehicle for caskets, a dolly, a casket supporting platformmovable vertically on said dolly, casket-supporting rollers on theplatform, means for driving said rollers in either direction includingan electric motor mounted on the platform, and means on the dolly forcontrolling said motor including flexible electrical conductor meansleading from the dolly to said motor, said dolly having a well beneathsaid platform and into which said conductor means is lowered and fromwhich said conductor means is raised as the platform is lowered andelevated.

GEORGE FORMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,250,478 McKenzie Dec. 18, 19171,451,773 Hescock Apr. 17, 1923 1,690,681 Hutzley Nov. 6, 1928 1,875,103Mosel Aug. 30, 1932 1,910,364 Remde May 23, 1933 1,931,484 Bosserdet eta1. Oct. 24, 1933 2,176,636 Meacham Oct. 17, 1939 2,276,127 Wahl Mar.10, 1942 2,292,738 Bonney Aug. 11, 1942 2,379,982 Mitchell July 10, 19452,479,623 Johnson Aug. 23, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date13,781 Great Britain Sept. 28, 1915

